Summer's First KissViolin Romance
by mewbunnysakura
Summary: Len Tsukimori has fallen in love with Hino Kahoko. No one would've thought that the violin romance would come true...except that Kaho has also fallen for Len. So when he randomly goes on a walk, guess who he finds? And then when he tries to confess...


Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro or Kin'iro No Corda. Or Romeo and Juliet.

Please review. It's just a random drabble. Enjoy.

Now, on with the story, which takes place after the concours/competitions and right before the second semester, where Kaji is introduced.

**Summer's First Kiss—the Violin Romance**

Len Tsukimori has never really felt love before. Taking into consideration his personality, he probably never will, and it would just suit him just fine. It didn't hurt that he openly admitted that he had not loved anyone yet.

So came a summer day after the music-filled Summer Encore, where he chanced to speak a word with his mother. Or, more like eavesdrop.

"Oh…that wonderful boy of mine—Len—you know…"

Len realized his mother was talking about HIM with one of Misa Hamai's friends over the phone.

"I just wish he would fall in love. It would be so different…"

The blue-haired boy was exasperated and heated up. What a strange topic to talk to about one's friends.

"But that boy…I'm scared for him. His personality doesn't make him very likable…" Len's mother hastened to add, "But he's such a dear, polite boy! I just love him so much I want to see him experience different things!"

Len got up, having had enough of his mother's words. He silently left his family home; he slipped through the front door which closed with a soft thud, clicked his way with his shoes down the front path, trespassed over the perfectly-kept lawn, opened the gate that squeaked on its hinges, closed it with a bang, and then walked along the sidewalk that lead toward the school.

This remind him of the day where Tsuchiura, Kahoko, and Hihara-senpai had come over to borrow CDs, return his white blazer, infest his house, coo over pictures of when he was young, and eat a whole lot of cakes--which was, actually, probably the only advantage of having them over. Len made a mental note to send all uneaten and unwanted cakes to Hihara for him to eat.

Len was not walking terribly fast, so the school was still a ways off. He was plagued by strange thoughts. _I really do love people, Mother! I…I l-l-l…I…l-l-love…_ Even in his thoughts Len stuttered over the unfamiliar concept. He blushed; a light pink color, barely noticeable, rose to his cheeks. His cheeks stood tinted for a while as he sorted his thoughts. _I love YOU, Mother! And you, too, Father…sort of…_

Len lowered his eyelids slightly, and bowed his head. His light hair shielded his eyes.

_Yet there is only one person I really want to play music for. I want her to smile…because of the violin music that she so wanted to play cheered her up. Not Tsuchiura…or Hihara…or even Shimizu…just me. Just me!_

Len squeezed his eyes shut, attempted to blow away his unwanted thoughts.

_I love her playing, too. The ways she puts so much emotion into her music and movements…her carefree-ness, the way she can relax and enjoy playing! Why…why can't I do that? People have always said I was so talented, my music superior to all others…yet some say I'm overly serious…that I don't enjoy it enough…is that why even though she sucks so much, her music is just as wonderful as mine? I don't get it…_

Unbeknownst to Len, tears had started to trickle down his cheeks. He walked on, crying, deep in thought, until he bumped into someone he knew.

Len raised his head, taking in a shy girl with short hair with a extremely cute outfit—a pair of Capri jeans with embroidered flowers, a blouse with poofy sleeves and white lace lining, and a cute green and yellow plaid headband. Unfortunately, this movement allowed Len's hair to reveal that Len was crying.

"Fuyuumi…" Len said, surprised, thinking he looked perfectly normal except that he was previously deep in thought.

There was a stunned silence where Fuyuumi took the chance to back up a little bit.

"Ano…sempai…are you alright?" Fuyuumi asked. "What…What are you crying about?"

Len reached up to his eyes and realized, for the first time, he had cried. Well, of course, he was bound to have cried when he was really young, but at this age no one cried! _Well, everyone but Kaho,_ Len twitched.

"Sempai, are you okay?" Fuyuumi asked once again.

"Go. Go away," Len growled. Fuyuumi, being the shy girl that she was, whimpered, and then speedily left the scene, leaving Len collapsed onto his knees and crying harder than before.

He kneeled there for many a moments, until his tears finally stopped.

A soft panting and pounding footsteps erupted into Len's ears.

Then, there was a pair of feet clad in red sandals right in front of him. Then, a pretty pink skirt. Then a red violin case. Then a white sweater-jacket with a floral pattern on top of a t-shirt that red "MUSIC" in bold black print. And then, lastly, the part Len was dreading most…Hino Kahoko's face.

Once he saw her face, he froze. His eyes were red and puffy, his face tear stained. His hands and handkerchief were wet, his nose red. Except for the exception of his clothes, Len must've looked horrible.

Len realized he had started on outside wearing black muscle shirt and a pair of tight jeans. It wasn't the best outfit he had ever worn, but at least he hadn't mindlessly walked out wearing only underwear—or worse, just a towel.

Kaho knelt down next to the boy who was going to have nightmares every night about coming to school in underwear. She put her left arm around Len's broad shoulders. Her right arm and hand fumbled for a dry handkerchief, which was found in a few moments. She kindly wiped away any tears, and then hugged Len. He relaxed, dropping his head onto her shoulders, breathing in a wonderfully perfumed scent that was uniquely Kaho's…

_Just a couple moments…_ he thought. _So comforting…_

Everything went black.

When Len awakened, Kaho was still supporting him, but also sleeping. This reminded him of the time where he had fallen asleep, sick with fever, and Kaho accompanying him. This was, of course, right before Hihara, Tsuchiura, and Kaho had invaded his home. However, this was a lot worse than what had happened before. Passerby in their cars stared at the kids on the sidewalk, as well as the bystanders walking by.

Len shook Kaho awake, and the two left to visit the park, where they could face silence, peace, and no stares.

The twosome rested on a bench, tired from the experience. Len suddenly noticed that Kaho had a violin, and he snatched at the case. "Practice…" he muttered. "He felt a soft hand on his arm.

"Don't overdo it," Kaho said. "Len, you practice too much. Take a break every once a while, do something fun."

_What is fun for me is performing for you…_he thought wistfully. He nodded, as if he understood Kaho's words, while he took the bow out and rubbed on rosin. He then took out the violin and placed in into position. He placed the boy on the violin strings to tune, but no sound emerged. Instead, his voice filled the air.

"How did you know?"

"Like, how did I find you?" Kaho asked.

Len gave a light nod in reply.

"Fuyuumi ran by me and told me she'd seen you in a bad state. I thought you were hurt or something…like you damaged your fingers and needed help. Although I thought it was strange no one had dialed for help. It was pretty much reflex, the rest of it."

Len gave an amused, "Heh." He had thought no one gave anything for him. No one had cared enough. But some people do, at least.

Standing up, Len began tuning. Then, he practiced scales, the bow moving fluidly from one note to another. And then he started with Schubert's Ave Maria, unconsciously putting love into his music. The music was gentle; the delicious melody filled the air, rich with sweet notes, high and low, sweet, tender, and heart-wrenching. Kaho felt tears come to her eyes as she listened to the soft music, being played on her violin, played only for her. It sounded like the time during the second selection, where Len had played with such emotion after everyone had left…all but Kaho and Len's mother.

Kaho realized that her violin could be so much different when someone as talented held it. He could coax such beautiful music from the instrument.

_When will I ever be like him? _Kaho mused. _I guess if I practice, practice, practice…_

Len had started to play some unfamiliar tunes, but they were so different from what he usually played, similar to the time when he performed during the second selection. The music was free-flowing, gentle, caring, loving…a different type of the powerful expressiveness Len usually held.

Even if it was different, it was good: exceptional, wonderful, superior beyond normal standards. Kaho sat back and listened.

Once Len was done and had put everything away, the sky was dark. He had played for two hours, releasing spiraling notes descending into darkness, so beautiful and so indescribable. It was only half of what he normally practiced, though. Len sighed, mournfully. He was so caught up with finishing his summer homework that he had forgotten to practice this morning. _I'll practice at home,_ he made a mental note. _Two hours,_ he added.

Everything was in shadow but the lamp that was next to the bench that Kaho was reclining in. Len stayed upright, gazing down into Kaho's deep, beautiful, and sparkling eyes. The lamplight caught the shine in them, making them brighter than usual.

He knew his face was in shadow—everything was but Hino's face, the center of Len's attention.

"I like you," Len said. The words, uninvited, but true, were met with silence. Len blushed once he realized what he had just said.

Kaho brought out her violin, stood up, and began playing the songs of love that Len had previously played. She played as a response…as if she loved Len, too. And she did.

"I love you, too," Kaho whispered, her eyes closed. "I love you," she repeated, opening her eyes.

Len leaned in, more by reflex than thought. Kaho smiled, knowing what was coming next. She put down her violin, leaned in also, and closed her eyes.

Then their lips met. The kiss was fierce; from all the longing the two held…almost like Romeo and Juliet. It was achingly joyful and heart-breaking, and Len could feel more tears coming down. They mingled with Kaho's, which were freely coming down also.

Smiles lingered on both faces as the two pulled apart to take some breaths. Len pulled Kaho into an embrace, kissed her a gentle good-bye kiss, told her "I love you," and the two went off, hand in hand, with only the lamplight that had seen it all illuminating their backs.

The summer violin romance had come true.


End file.
